Improved techniques are provided for managing and optimizing network resources and spectrum access in a Self-Organizing Network (SON). A Spectrum Access System (SAS) collects network-related information from a plurality of network sources, such as base stations and user equipments (UEs), to perform optimization and organization across different networks, network operators, and network technologies. In some embodiments, the SAS may use the network information and a Radio Environment Map to optimize TDD synchronization in the SON. In other embodiments, the SAS may use the network information to populate a global Neighbor Relation Table. The SAS also may use the network information to optimize one or more network parameters, such as Physical Cell Identities or Root Sequence Indexes, antenna parameters, transmit power levels, handover thresholds, channel assignments, and so on, for use in the SON. Advantageously, the SAS's optimized network parameters may be used to improve network performance, reduce signal interference, and adjust to network failures in the SON.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for optimizing a shared spectrum system with one or more incumbent and non-incumbent systems, the method comprising: identifying, by a Spectrum Access System (SAS), one or more network parameters assigned to a plurality of base stations, wherein the SAS is separate from each of the incumbent and non-incumbent systems, and wherein the SAS has no control over the incumbent system; determining, by the SAS, an interference on incumbent system performance over a predetermined geographic area caused by the one or more network parameters assigned to the plurality of base stations; using, by the SAS, information corresponding to the one or more incumbent and non-incumbent systems in the shared spectrum system to determine at least one optimized Physical Cell Identity (PCI) value associated with the one or more non-incumbent systems based on the determined interference on incumbent system performance; and sending, by the SAS, the at least one optimized PCI value to one or more base stations in the one or more non-incumbent systems to improve performance of at least one aspect of the one or more non-incumbent systems.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a Radio Environment Map comprises the information corresponding to the incumbent and non-incumbent systems in the shared spectrum system.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the Radio Environment Map is created based on one or more of Spectrum Access System models, base station reports, information accessed from a database, or information obtained from spectrum sensing.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more network parameters assigned to the plurality of base stations comprises a PCI.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising: accessing a Neighbor Relation Table (NRT) that identifies network topology of the plurality of base stations; and using the NRT to determine whether PCIs assigned to adjacent base stations in the one or more non-incumbent systems will negatively affect the performance of the one or more non-incumbent systems.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising: determining that PCIs assigned to adjacent base stations will negatively affect the non-incumbent system performance if at least one of the same PCI modulo 3, PCI modulo 6, or PCI modulo 30 is assigned to the adjacent base stations.
7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising: proposing at least one black-listed PCI that should not be assigned to any of the plurality of base stations.
8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising ranking a list of proposed PCI values to send to the one or more non-incumbent base stations.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more network parameters assigned to the plurality of base stations comprises a Root Sequence Index (RSI) and a zeroCorrelationZoneConfig value.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: accessing a Neighbor Relation Table (NRT) that identifies the network topology of the plurality of base stations; and using the NRT and the zeroCorrelationZoneConfig values to determine whether RSIs assigned to adjacent base stations will negatively affect performance of the one or more non-incumbent systems.
11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising ranking a list of proposed RSI values to send to the one or more base stations in the one or more non-incumbent systems.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the at least one optimized PCI value is performed when a base station registers with the SAS.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the at least one optimized PCI value to one or more base stations in the one or more non-incumbent systems is performed when a base station is assigned a frequency channel to use in the one or more non-incumbent systems.
14. A Spectrum Access System (SAS) in communication with a plurality of base stations in a shared spectrum system, the shared spectrum system comprising one or more incumbent and non-incumbent systems, the SAS comprising: one or more processors; a memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the SAS to: identify one or more network parameters assigned to a plurality of base stations; determine an interference-on incumbent system performance over a predetermined geographic area caused by the one or more network parameters assigned to the plurality of base stations; use information corresponding to the one or more incumbent and non-incumbent systems in the shared spectrum system to determine at least one optimized Physical Cell Identity (PCI) value associated with the one or more non-incumbent systems based on the determined interference on incumbent system performance; and sending, by the SAS, the at least one optimized PCI value to one or more base stations in the one or more non-incumbent systems to improve performance of at least one aspect of the one or more non-incumbent systems, wherein the SAS is separate from the one or more incumbent and non-incumbent systems, and wherein the SAS has no control over the incumbent system.
15. A method for optimizing a shared spectrum system with one or more incumbent and non-incumbent systems, the method comprising: identifying, by a Spectrum Access System (SAS), one or more network parameters assigned to a plurality of base stations, wherein the SAS is separate from the one or more incumbent and non-incumbent systems, and wherein the SAS has no control over the incumbent system; determining, by the SAS, an interference on incumbent system performance over a predetermined geographic area caused by the one or more network parameters assigned to the plurality of base stations; using, by the SAS, an objective function to determine optimized assignments of at least one of secondary-user channels or transmit power levels based on the determined interference on incumbent system performance; and sending, by the SAS, the optimized assignments of at least one of secondary-user channels or transmit power levels to one or more base stations in the one or more non-incumbent systems to improve performance of at least one aspect of the one or more non-incumbent systems.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the objective function accounts for at least one of secondary-user interference, secondary-user bandwidth, secondary-user geographic coverage, secondary-user TDD frame configurations, cost of switching between frequency channels, cost of secondary users with different radio technologies operating on the same channel or on adjacent channels, cost of misaligned TDD configurations, or network information available from a Radio Environment Map.
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April 6, 2017
February 23, 2021
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